Jama’a al-Islamiya’s political party, the Construction and Development Party, will not dismiss any member for voting for the Muslim Brotherhood’s presidential candidate Mohamed Morsy, a party leader told Al-Masry Al-Youm on Wednesday, despite the group’s endorsement of Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh.
The group and the party do not object to members voting for Morsy if they believe this conforms to Sharia law, the party’s Secretary General Alaa Abul Nasr has said.
“We will not dismiss or interrogate members who vote for Morsy, especially since we know it’s only political discretion, as long as they don’t break the general assembly’s decision and publicly endorse Morsy,” Abul Nasr said, adding that they cannot force members to vote for specific candidates.
He expected the group and the party’s number of voters in the election to reach 5 million, centered in Upper Egypt. Group members have launched campaigns in support of Abouel Fotouh.
Abul Nasr said the party, apart from the group, is campaigning in some governorates such as Sohag, Minya, Beheira and Aswan, while the party and the group coordinate campaigning in other governorates.
Abul Nasr stressed that the group does not campaign in mosques.
Last month, Jama'a al-Islamiya’s Shura Council and the Construction and Development Party’s parliamentary bloc decided to support moderate Islamist hopeful Abouel Fotouh for president.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
